News ShortsAnnouncements and accomplishments.

CCU students win Undergraduate Research Competition

Thirty-five undergraduate students presented their research topics, methodology and results to faculty judges on April 2 at the Third Undergraduate Research Competition where top awards were presented to Theresa King for first place, Keith Richard for second place and Laura Walters for third place.

King is a senior marine science student from Damascus, Md., whose research title was “Evaluation of down welling long-term radiation from Model Reanalysis Data using long-term Observation from Israel.”

Richard is a senior psychology major from Ellicott City, Md., whose research presentation was entitled, “Country Music Research: socioeconomic status and characteristics of popular music.”

Third place winner Walters is a senior biology major from Georgetown, whose presentation title was “The Effect of Xylitol on normal oral bacteria.” All three students earned cash prizes with their awards.

The Undergraduate Research Competition began as a part of the Celebration of Inquiry Conference to enable undergraduate students from all disciplines and majors the opportunity to present their University research at a venue outside their regular classroom. Presentations are judged by CCU faculty on such factors as originality, methodology, evidence of research, clarity and organization. Studies have shown that students who present their research gain a deeper understanding of the topic and gain confidence in public speaking. The University's Office for Undergraduate Research assists students in these efforts.

For more information, contact Charmaine Tomczyk, director for undergraduate research at charmain@coastal.edu.

Garland steps down as senior VP

Effective March 31, Will Garland will be stepping down from his position as senior vice president of Finance & Administration. He will continue to assist the department with the financial aspects of capital projects in the coming months during this busy time of campus expansion. "While Will is not yet completely returning to retirement, we would still like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for his 29 years of dedicated service to the University," said Eddie Dyer.

Effective April 1, Stacie A. Bowie, vice president of Finance & Administration, will assume most of the duties formerly handled by Garland, in addition to her current responsibilities.

Safe Zone Ally training session set for April

The Safe Zone Program provides a visible network of volunteers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other individuals seeking information and assistance regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, harassment and/or discrimination. Safe Zone Allies will participate in a two-hour training session and will commit to the Safe Zone program mission. Once training and commitment are completed, Safe Zone Allies will be identified by a Coastal Carolina University Safe Zone logo placed on each ally’s door and/or backpack.

For more information, consult the Safe Zone website at www.coastal.edu/safezone

Safe Zone training:

Any student, faculty or staff member who wants to become a Safe Zone Ally or would just like to learn more about LGBTQ issues should attend.

Tuesday, April 26, 6 to 8 p.m., CSCC 200
Call 843-349-2305 to register. Sessions will be limited to 25 participants.